An initiative between West Virginia University Libraries and the Provost’s Office will again help up to five faculty members enhance their courses while earning a $3,000 stipend.

The WVU Libraries’ Information Literacy Course Enhancement Program is focused on integrating information literacy into the classroom.

WVU’s 2010 Plan, www.wvu.edu/~2010plan, states that information literacy will be a curriculum component across all disciplines by 2010.

Broadly speaking, information literacy means the set of abilities needed for digital learning by students and instructors to make effective use of the array of information options at the 21st century university.

Each of the selected faculty participants will receive a summer stipend, or other relevant professional remuneration if 12-month faculty apply.

Selected faculty will work with the WVU Libraries’ director of instruction and information literacy and a librarian liaison to create discipline-specific active learning assignment outcomes that address information literacy concepts.

The revised courses will be taught collaboratively during either fall 2010 or spring 2011.

Participants will also contribute to an information literacy forum during the academic year.

ILCEP objectives are:

• To strengthen student research results and prepare them for greater academic success.

• To foster collaboration between instructors and librarians.

• To implement syllabus enhancement to include information literacy based learning outcomes and information literacy active learning assignments within the discipline.

• To encourage instructors to include the full range of WVU Libraries’ resources, expertise and services in course planning and delivery in courses with research expectations.

• To sponsor an information literacy showcase to share the results of the course enhancements, publicize discipline based projects and encourage more departments to get involved.
So far, thanks to WVU Libraries’ ILCEP, five faculty-librarian teams have taken action to address information literacy as a high priority in their courses, including: Tim Warner, a professor of geology and geography in the Eberly College of Arts & Sciences; Gonzalo Bravo, an assistant professor in the School of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences; Assistant Professor Lisa Hardman, School of Nursing, Health Sciences Center; Professor Fred Jacoby, Arts and Humanities Division, Potomac State College; and Assistant Professor Rhonda Reymond, College of Creative Arts.

Library liaisons are librarians Virginia Bender, Linda Blake, Barbara LaGodna, Beth Royall and Carroll Wilkinson, director of instruction and information literacy.

Teams will share their results during the Faculty Academy this May.

To apply, visit: http://provost.wvu.edu/r/download/52700.

Mail the completed application to Carroll Wilkinson, WVU, PO Box 6069, Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 or fax to 304-293-6638.

The application deadline is March 11, 2010.

For more information call 304-293-0308 or email carroll.wilkinson@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

CONTACT: Monte Maxwell, WVU Libraries
304-293-0306, Monte.Maxwell@mail.wvu.edu